Plastic sheathed window frame

ABSTRACT

A protected edge structure device for a wall opening such as a window opening comprising a window frame extending around the opening and attached to the window at the opening edge and comprising a sill, opposite side jambs and a head and a resilient plastic sheath having an inner surface closely embracing the frame at the outer and upper sides of the sill, side jambs and head and including members for retaining the sheath in position including integral barbs on the sheath engaging kerfs in the frame.

United States Patent Sitterly 1 May 16,1972

[54] PLASTIC SHEATHED WINDOW FRAME [72] Inventor: Charles K. Sitterly, Dubuque, Iowa [73] Assignee: Scovill Manufacturing Company [22] Filed: May 27, 1970 [21] Applv No.: 40,849

3,491,584 1/1970 SeIZer FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 877,294 9/ 1 961 Great Britain ..49/501 Primary Examiner-Kenneth Downey Att0rney-Hofgren, Wegner, Allen, Stellman and McCord 57 ABSTRACT A protected edge structure device for a wall opening such as a window opening comprising a window frame extending around the opening and attached to the window at the opening edge and comprising a sill, opposite side jambs and a head and a resilient plastic sheath having an inner surface closely embracing the frame at the outer and upper sides of the sill, side jambs and head and including members for retaining the sheath in position including integral barbs on the sheath engaging kerfs in the frame.

1 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAY 16 I972 SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENTOR. CHARLES K. SIT TERLY fidgMA- M g- I WW) d/ww awcw.

ATTORNEYS.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One of the features of this invention is to provide a frame such as a window frame having a closely enclosing resilient plastic sheath with improved fastening means for securely attaching the sheath to the frame parts so as to prevent accidental dislodgement thereof.

Another feature of the invention is to provide such a structure wherein the frame includes side jambs covered with the rigid plastic sheath and having vertically elongated recesses to receive spring pressed strikes for retaining a screen in position in which the recesses are greater in vertical extent than the diameter of the strikes so that the strikes will be self-aligning in a vertical direction but retained against substantial movement in a horizontal direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a shortened vertical sectional view through a window unit embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a shortened horizontal sectional view through the unit of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view through a side jamb of the window unit and a spring pressed screen strike.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings the window unit that is mounted in an opening in a building wall 11 comprises a window frame 12 with the frame comprising a sill 13 having a downwardly and outwardly sloped surface 14, side jambs l5 and 16 and a head 17.

Positioned on the inner sides of the side jambs 15 and 16 are a pair of vertical stainless steel jamb liners 18 of customary construction between which are located an upper sash l9 and a lower sash 20.

The frame on the outer surface thereof is provided with a resilient plastic sheath which may be made of any suitable plastic of which polyvinylchloride is a good example. This sheath 21 has an inner surface closely embracing the external exposed surfaces of the frame. Thus the sheath has an upper part 22 enclosing the outer exposed surfaces of the forward section 23 of the head 17. As can be seen at the top of FIG. 1 this sheath portion 22 has opposite edges 24 and 25 with the sheath portions therebtween closely embracing the frame head.

In order to retain this head part 22 of the sheath in position there is integrally formed with the sheath adjacent the edge 24 an inwardly extending plastic barb 26 retained within a kerf or groove 27. The opposite edge 25 is provided with a similar barb 28 also held in a kerf29.

This upper or head part 22 of the sheath is also provided with a downwardly extending drip flange 20 also of plastic and preferably of the same plastic as the sheath itself.

Overlying the top portion 31 of the head sheath part 22 is a drip cap 32 that may be made of sheet metal and that has an upwardly extending portion 33 attached to the wall 11 and a forward downward extending flange 34 spaced forwardly of the front of the head sheath 22. The sheath 21 also includes a sill 13 covering portion 35 that covers and protects the top surface 36 and the forward edge 37 of the sill. As can be seen from the bottom of FIG. 1, the extreme forward edge 38 of the sill sheath 35 is curved rearwardly and upwardly around the edge 37 and is provided with a forward projecting extremity 39 held in a kerf 40 for firmly securing this edge of the sill sheath to the sill.

The rear edge 41 of the sill sheath 35 extends rearwardly beyond the lower sash 20 and the inner edge of the sill 13 and is retained in a rabbet 42 formed in a wooden strip 43 which forms a part of the frame 12. This rabbet 42 is adapted to be filled with a caulking composition (not shown) to form a seal with this rear edge 41.

In order to further aid in retaining the sill sheath 35 in position on the sill there is provided an inwardly extending barb flange also of plastic and integral with the sill sheath with this barbed flange likewise being retained in a kerf 45. As can be seen at the bottom of FIG. 1, the barb 44 is located inwardly of the forward edge 37 of the sill but closer to this edge than to the sash 20.

The outer portions 46 of the jambs 15 and 16 are covered with the jamb portions 47 of the plastic sheath. Each jamb sheath 47 is held in position in a manner similar to the head sheath 22 by end barbs 48 and 49' and barb retaining kerfs 50 and 51.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 the outer portions 46 of each side jamb l5 and 16 is provided on their confronting faces with vertically elongated inwardly extending recesses 52 into which the jamb sheath 47 extends. These recesses, one of which is shown in horizontal section in FIG. 3 and in front elevation in FIG. 4, are adapted to receive the extreme ends 53 of spring pressed strikes 54. These strikes are well known structures that are attached to the frames of screens to releasably retain the screens (not shown) in position. In this invention the plastic lined recess 52 is greater in vertical extent than the diameter of the strike end 53 but substantially equal in width to this diameter so that the strikes are selfaligning in a vertical direction but held by recesses 52 against substantial horizontal movement.

Having described my invention as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is my intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description, unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A protected frame device for an opening in a wall having inner and outer sides, comprising: a structural frame in and extending around said opening and attached at the opening edge, said frame comprising a sill, opposite side jambs and a head; a resilient plastic sheath having an inner surface closely embracing said frame at the outer and upper sides of said sill,

45 jambs and head and having edges, the inner edge of the sill sheath extending inwardly beyond the adjacent inner edge of the sill and retained in a rabbet located in a frame member fastened in position at the inner edge of the sill; sheath retaining barbs integral with said sheath extending inwardly of said inner surface; means providing a kerf in said frame receiving and retaining each said barb and thus said sheath in position on said frame, certain of said barbs being located adjacent said edges and a sill barb being located at the top surface of the frame sill inwardly of the outer edge thereof, the side jambs of the frame and the enclosing sheath at these jambs being provided with vertical inwardly extending recesses to receive screen retaining spring pressed strikes, the recesses being greater in vertical extent than the diameter of the strikes in order that the strikes are self-aligning in a vertical direction but retained against substantial movement in a horizontal direction; and a bottom vertical flange on said head embracing sheath integral with the sheath and located between the vertical extremities of said bottom to serve as a moisture drip locating flange, said head embracing sheath at the top thereof having a drip cap covering the top of the head sheath and extending up along the adjacent surface of the wall with the cap having a downwardly extending flange located forwardly of the vertical front of the head sheath. 

1. A protected frame device for an opening in a wall having inner and outer sides, comprising: a structural frame in and extending around said opening and attached at the opening edge, said frame comprising a sill, opposite side jambs and a head; a resilient plastic sheath having an inner surface closely embracing said frame at the outer and upper sides of said sill, jambs and head and having edges, the inner edge of the sill sheath extending inwardly beyond the adjacent inner edge of the sill and retained in a rabbet located in a frame member fastened in position at the inner edge of the sill; sheath retaining barbs integral with said sheath extending inwardly of said inner surface; means providing a kerf in said frame receiving and retaining each said barb and thus said sheath in position on said frame, certain of said barbs being located adjacent said edges and a sill barb being located at the top surface of the frame sill inwardly of the outer edge thereof, the side jambs of the frame and the enclosing sheath at these jambs being provided with vertical inwardly extending recesses to receive screen retaining spring pressed strikes, the recesses being greater in vertical extent than the diameter of the strikes in order that the strikes are self-aligning in a vertical direction but retained against substantial movement in a horizontal direction; and a bottom vertical flange on said head embracing sheath integral with the sheath and located between the verticaL extremities of said bottom to serve as a moisture drip locating flange, said head embracing sheath at the top thereof having a drip cap covering the top of the head sheath and extending up along the adjacent surface of the wall with the cap having a downwardly extending flange located forwardly of the vertical front of the head sheath. 